Official memo reveals that even true believers see the seeds of civil war in the occupation of Iraq

By Jason Vest

As the situation in Iraq grows ever more tenuous, the Bush administration continues to spin the news with matter-of-fact optimism. According to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Iraqi uprisings in half a dozen cities, accompanied by the deaths of more than 100 soldiers in the month of April alone, is something to be viewed in the context of "good days and bad days," merely "a moment in Iraq's path towards a free and democratic system." More recently, the president himself asserted, "Our coalition is standing with responsible Iraqi leaders as they establish growing authority in their country."

With gratitude to Salon.com's "Right Hook" column (which is where "Thin Line" borrowed the idea), I offer you a highly selective sample of opinion appearing in the national media last week, surrounding President George W. Bush's press conference.

Medicare reform discussion should be more than partisan bickering

Dateline: Thailand—A British man has been arrested for going topless after smuggling an estimated $100,000 worth of ecstasy tablets into Thailand. “They didn't catch me at the airport,” 35-year-old Alan John Kiernan told Reuters Televison. “I got through eight customs without being stopped.” In fact, Kiernan was arrested by Bangkok police for not wearing a shirt. The Southampton resident arrived in Thailand from Switzerland last Friday and was stopped the following day in a park for wandering around without a shirt. Following his arrest, police found more than 9,000 ecstasy tablets in his pants. “Shit happens,” Kiernan, who could face the death penalty, said at a news conference.

[RE: Letters, “Our Humble Establishment”, April 15-21]: One item of substance appears through the fog of clichés and whines in the letter from the management of Cowboys. Cowboys wants some editorial control over your newspaper in return for its advertising dollars. That's exactly the kind of business that I don't want to get any of my customer dollars.